Putnam County, FL Fence Regulations: Retaining Walls (2026)

Putnam County Code § 8-21(b)(1) sets local amendments to the Florida Building Code for small detached residential accessory structures, and within that same subsection the county draws a bright line for retaining walls: any retaining wall greater than two feet tall requires a building permit, a zoning permit, and inspections, all administered by the county's Planning and Development Services department. The same sentence sweeps in bulkheads and any roofed structure built at or in a body of water, whether or not it uses a mechanical or electrical boat hoisting device, so a homeowner replacing a seawall or adding a covered boat lift on the St.

Johns River or a Putnam County lake faces the identical three-part requirement. This sits inside the broader exemption clause that otherwise lets homeowners skip permits for small site-built detached accessory buildings and sheds under 150 square feet and less than 12 feet to the ridge, showing the county treats water-adjacent structures like retaining walls, bulkheads, and boat-related roofed structures more strictly than ordinary yard sheds. The provision is part of Article II of Chapter 8, the county's building code article adopted by Ord. No. 2013-19 and amended by Ord.

No. 2015-26, operating as a local amendment to Florida Building Code Section 102.2.5 rather than a stand-alone wall ordinance. Because it is a building-code permit requirement, unpermitted construction is enforced the same way as any other unlawful building act.